Today is Oscar Day! The second time that the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences has dropped this holiday on us in February. A fantastic switch from my student POV because this week is WAY LESS busy than the third week in March - lemme tell ya!
Oscar Day is the Xmas holiday of Hollywood-philes. It is a tradition in my house. On Oscar Day my mom and I put on our satin pajamas and I curl up with my pink feather boa. We make insane quantities of popcorn and drink tall glasses of bubbly ginger ale!
The downside is that my parents don't have cable. This means no two-hour, red carpet pre-show (commercial free!) on the E!/Star! Network. It also happens that presenters can have more than two eyes or end up co-presenting with themselves because we just can't get the station tuned perfectly. It makes it hard to critique the fashions when you see them in the wrong tint. But we persevere - we never miss a telecast.
The other fantastic part of Oscar Day is picking my winners. I'm never in an Oscar Pool because a)I'm not a gambler and b)I have personal faves for which I cheer. Here they are:
Best Adapted Screenplay: Before Sunset - its an underdog but a real wonder and joy in movie dialogue and to be swept away by these characters again (who essentially do nothing but talk during the film) is noteworthy.
Best Original Screenplay: The Incredibles - I think this is the best film achievement of the year and when you can put ANYTHING in your screenplay and you make a film this tight, entertaining and sincere then the prize should be yours.
Animated Feature: The Incredibles - a total gimme, darling.
Best Supporting Actor: Clive Owen (Closer) - without question, the character of Larry is one of the best screen performances of the year. Clive makes the man both sexy and disgusting and is magnetic in a way that none of the other nominees come close to.
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) - it cannot be easy to step into the role of a beloved Hollywood star, especially one that was a 'character' in herself. And this story of Howard Hughes would be hollow without the influence of Blanchett's Hepburn - which is exactly why it is the BEST supporting performance.
Best Actor: Jamie Foxx (Ray) - this one is a very close call as I believe Leo is also deserving of some hardware this year and if Foxx hadn't played Ray (in the year Ray Charles died!) then it would have been gold for DiCaprio. But this award is for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role and that is what Foxx delivered. When I think of the fact that he is NOT Ray Charles, NOT blind and just creating all of it on a soundstage surrounded by extras and crew members and never delivers a false note? That is oscar material.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) - this is an understated performance compared to the others and the film's position as a quirky rather than straight-up drama makes it harder to see the genius of the work. But that is why it is better than the rest.
Best Director: Martin Scorcese (The Aviator) - people will argue that it is not his best work, but it is the best work in directing of this year's nominees. The scope of the story is demanding and Scorcese is excellent at spinning out a comprehensive tale. He captures the look of the time brilliantly and establishes some wonderful set pieces. And, he filmed one of the most shock-inducing plane crashes ever. To know that all we see in the Aviator he envisioned and then realized is amazing.
Best Picture: Million Dollar Baby - its rare that I will select a film that is different from the director because I do believe the two are intertwined. However, on my list of five best, MDB edges The Aviator slightly because it is a more solid film. It is what films are about in a wholistic sense and it pulls you through the story in an engaging and, ultimately, devasting way.
Raye's Top Five Films 2004:
The Incredibles
Closer
Million Dollar Baby
The Aviator
Before Sunset
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